MISHIKRAFTS- A LAUNCH

BY MADHUMITHA NATARAJAN

Shopping, especially for women, is undoubtedly the best stress-buster. But sadly we live in an era where many are gradually migrating to online shopping. A handful of santhes are organized in cosmopolitan Bengaluru every now and then, but they fail to attract too many visitors.

I happened to bump into one such santhe a few days back. It was organized by MishiKrafts and exhibited a variety of hand-made specialties. The best part, everything was dirt cheap. It was then and there that I decided to write about this one, and I guess I’ll be helping a few with some great gifting ideas!

I would call it a neighborhood santhe, because it was organized in an apartment building corridor; it gave me the feel of ‘home-shopping’, not your home of course. Though  the santhe wasn’t too spacious, one wouldn’t complain as it kept the shoppers in a close-knit gathering, interacting with each other and appreciating each others’ picks. I was surprised at the kind of collection this place had. It practically covered everything that a street-shopper would dole out his/her bucks on! All in one place, without having to walk through sinfully long streets!

If you are a person who loves shopping but your pocket is not so deep, I would suggest you check this out. It has everything: from cosmetics, sarees, dress materials and accessories, to lots and lots more!

But there was something that squarely stole the limelight: homemade soaps! Actually it was the aroma that drove me to them. These are little soaps made of rose petals and other natural scents without any kind of chemical adulteration; they come in unusual flavours like wine, jasmine, cinnamon and lavender, and are also very cutely shaped - hearts, butterflies, bedbugs, roses and designs that your valentine will surely love, if you choose to gift her one! (Oh yes! Valentine’s Day is round the corner; why not try this one out?) 

The prices vary depending on how much it weighs; I paid 50 Bucks for 70 Grams soap and I’ve been using it for over 10 days now and still have half-a-portion left. It saves you the energy of using a scrubber as the rose petals do that job fabulously and the experience is rejuvenating I must say!

I also picked up this homemade and flavoured salt - apparently soaking your feet in warm water mixed with a pinch of this salt, helps relaxing them after a long day in office. (I tried this and trust me; I would suggest this alternative against any pedicure treatments where you shell out hundreds!) These are priced around 40 Bucks for 100 grams and you can use each packet for about 4 sittings! So technically you are spending 10 Bucks for your pedicure, Wow! Isn’t that amazing?

And this little piglet and fish you see, are incense-stick holders. These are about an inch in size and extremely adorable. Your mum or aunt would love it, if you gift them one! Apart from these, there are a lot of branded stuff that are organic and also reasonably priced, compared to many stores in the city. This santhe has handpicked products that are chemical-free, and ones that have the right components that suit every skin and hair type. 

And the bonus, these are not just for women but for men too, so rest assured your spouse/boy friend wouldn’t mind getting you here. Considering the fact that nothing can cause you as much trouble as deciding what to gift a guy, this place will surely help with hassle-free and limited-budget shopping, for stuff that are purely organic and harmless. 

The footfall at the santhe was decent and I saw many passers-by stop, to get a glimpse of it. I actually realized that Bengalureans are always open to such ideas of having homemade, handmade and eco-friendly products!

Overall, the experience was extremely delightful and worthy. We should encourage more such santhes and make the city a unique shopping destination, something that is not seen in other cities. 

CHAAYE STALL- A REVIEW

BY NOLAN PINTO

Just when you think that all the coffee shops are the same, a surprise awaits you. I am not the person to sit and waste time in coffee shops, they are too noisy and at times bloody irritating. So when a pal of ours suggested we check out Chaaye Stall, we were a bit apprehensive. It was like this, if it turned into a nightmare, we would surely kill him!

An instant mood setter, they have lanterns in tea pots!

We reached the place at around half past seven in the evening. There is ample space to park both cars and bikes. But be aware, even though the bike parking is hop step and jump away, you have to ride all around this huge building to get there.  This small joint is right near the gate and the moment you enter, you get this very cozy feeling. Dim lights but enough to not be shady at all like many places are these days. We decided to sit on floor one. The steps to head up are narrow and are spiral like those in old churches.

Once on the top, you are amazed at the seating. Nice floor cushioned seats and neatly spread apart. We decided to take a seat where we could have a view of the road. What struck us immediately were the drawings on the wall. The old Bangalore where one still had time to sip a cup of coffee or tea.

The queen of spices (white cup) the smell of the soil (mud pot)

Bread Pakoras, really wish there were more pieces!

We thought this place would be extremely costly, but one look at the menu and we were amazed. This got us in the mood to just keep on ordering. The waiter arrived within 10 minutes of us taking our seats and getting used to the place. 

We were famished and hence ordered loads to eat. So it was Hash Browns, cucumber sandwich, Golgappa Shooters, Bread Pakoda and then for tea, one 'smell of the soil' that is served in a Kulladh(mud pot) and 'queen of spices' a tea blended with Indian spices.

Golgappa Shooters! We couldn't resist eating two before we remembered we need pictures! 

I would certainly suggest the Golgappa shooters. Very elegantly served. The puris are placed on a long shot glass filled with the pani. The pani is served chilled and is just about the right amount of sweet and yum. 

A potato lovers delight! Yummylicious Hash Browns!

The Hash Browns were absolutely yummilicious. For the potato lover, it had the right amount of steam, oil as well as garnishing. We wiped the plate clean!

If you’re heading to this place all alone, then this dish will for sure fill your tummy. The cucumber sandwich is as normal as it gets but the bread pakoda (though with a filling) could have been better.

The teas are good. I for one enjoyed the queen of spices better than the smell of the soil which was pretty ordinary in taste. I know it’s supposed to give you the feeling of drinking tea in a mud pot but still the tea can be made a bit more interesting.

Greedy hands reach out for more Golgappas!

Cucumber sandwiches- ek dum ghar ka taste! 

The feel of the place is wonderful. They played old Jagjit Singh songs and not too loud and not too soft either, I would say just about there in the background so it won’t disturb you while you are speaking. My first time here and I was satisfied. More so since the entire bill came to less than Rs. 400 in spite of us ordering 4 dishes and 2 teas. Really cost effective for a place to just hang out and also to treat others toward the end of the month.