I needed a steady supply of chocolates in the last few days—yes, it has been that kind of week. Naturally, my well-wishers pitched in with recommendations for chocolate desserts. After eating my weight in ice cream, I discovered these hazelnut chocolate bars from a Middle Eastern restaurant named Zima in Mumbai. They are fudgy and nutty, with just the right amount of sweetness. The bars are small besan-barfi size and they disappear in minutes, which makes it difficult to share, but I am not complaining. One serving has six bars and they come with the creamiest vanilla ice cream. It’s a win-win for anyone who likes both. They come in gift boxes too. Anyone reading this will understand what I would consider the perfect present. —Jahnabee Borah
Sidecar is well-known among Delhi cocktail lovers. What makes the place even more special is the Dear Delhi menu which features cocktails inspired by some of the most iconic places in the Capital. Think Connaught Place, Delhi-6, Azad Mandi and the like. A recent visit to the award-winning cocktail bar brought me face to face with the Sadar Bazaar, a drink with a rustic, vintage feel that is made with cognac blend, lemon juice, sandalwood, laccha supari and orange blossom water. I don’t know if you have tried it since the Dear Delhi menu was introduced last year. But it’s sweet on the palate— with an ABV of 15.86%—and looks like a dream. The supari garnish on top is beautiful and incredibly fragrant. I recommend it highly to cognac lovers. For the drink, like Delhi, doesn’t seem to age.—Nitin Sreedhar
It’s always nice when a homegrown brand you like goes places. For several years, The Yellow Dwelling, a Bengaluru-born home décor store, was a neighbourhood go-to for me to pick up cosy cushions and quirky gifts. Then it expanded to other locations in the city —and eventually to Hyderabad, Delhi, Gurugram and Pune. Walking into the brand’s HSR Layout store in Bengaluru the other day, I immediately fell in love with a new collection of botanical print cushion covers by artist Praaggya Sharma featuring blooming hydrangeas and monstera leaves, matched with a cool, textured cover that screams summer. The store’s friendly, helpful staff always makes a visit extra delightful. —Shrabonti Bagchi
Anyone who has visited Bengaluru knows how hard it is to get a cab or an autorickshaw, so a new app always has takers. This trip, I did most of my commuting using Namma Yatri, a six-month-old app owned by the state’s auto drivers’ union that has, as usual, both massive fans and bitter critics. The best part is that the app, built by JusPay on an open-source protocol, doesn’t charge the drivers a commission—at least not right now. For me, it has changed the experience of taking an auto—no haggling, courteous drivers, and wait times under three minutes. How well it works, though, seems to depend on location, as there are unhappy users online. But having alternatives to the two main ride-sharing apps in Bengaluru, especially one owned by the drivers’ union, is always welcome and I am glad to cheer the Namma Yatris.—Shalini Umachandran
