museum and sushi

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art is the eponymous private museum of Kiran Nadar, established to showcase select works from her collection. It was housed in a random part of a shopping mall and took us almost 30 minutes to find the museum (even the information desk didn't seem to be too helpful). But the hassle was well worth it! Here are some pics I sneaked when the security guards weren't looking...

We were so happy when we finally saw this sign

Sudarshan Shetty's installation

Subodh Gupta's Line of Control. This photo does not do the work justice!

The museum outing left us a bit famished, so instead of our usual room service and watching TV routine we decided to head out for dinner. I had a necessary sushi fix at Delhi's most popular Japanese restaurant, Wasabi by Morimoto. The restaurant is located on the bottom floor of a hotel and the interior was modern and 'clubby'.

photo c/o taj hotels

Most importantly, the food was delicious!

chef's sushi selection

yellowtail jalapeno carpaccio 

 

oysters that my sister loved! the oysters are actually sitting on beds of salt.

So far my vacation in India has been almost too relaxing (if that is even possible!?). Tomorrow's plan is a morning yoga workout and spending the entire day lounging by the pool--please don't make me ever leave here!

cheesing for the iphone pre-sightseeing. #dork

gurgaon

After a very long journey, my sister and I finally arrived in Delhi. The first thing that strikes you once you step off the plane would definitely be the humidity/heat. Even at 11:45pm, Delhi was so hot! A relatively short car ride later, we arrived at our hotel for the first few days!

We stayed at the new and amazing Oberoi Gurgaon!

interesting floral arrangements found in the hotel

our room--so light and modern!

my delicious and authentic breakfast: Indian idli!

the centerpieces on our table at Amaranta. There was a tiny fish in there!

I still have a severe case of jetlag, which led us to eat dinner at 11pm yesterday night. We had one of the most delicious meals ever at Amaranta, the seafood restaurant at the Oberoi Gurgaon. The food was amazing and you get to even choose your own fish/lobster/crab to cook. Such a yummy experience!

The hotel has a complimentary yoga class in the mornings. The class was relaxing and at the same time a great workout (I'm still recovering from certain poses...haha). After yoga and a quick breakfast we checked out and moved closer to the heart of New Delhi. We can't wait to explore this area's restaurants and sights. Next up, a day at the museum!

afternoon tea and spa

To kick off my upcoming VACATION (!!!) I got out of work a bit early to meet my sister for afternoon tea and some spa time. We met at the Four Seasons London, which is located near Green Park. I rushed there because I was super late and by the time I arrived my sister had finished her tea, but since they keep refilling all the tea treats, she didn't mind keeping me company while I ate.

Afternoon tea is served just off the hotel lobby and even had live music playing! As you can see the hotel's decor is so beautiful.

isn't the china so pretty?

Our massage appointments were in 15 minutes so we were a bit rushed, but the staff at the Four Seasons Amaranto Lounge were kind enough to pack up my tea so I can enjoy it at home! We took the lift up to the 10th Floor which consists of the fitness centre, spa, and lounge. Right when the elevator doors open we were greeted by a minimalist, serene environment.

The spa was absolutely relaxing--I wish I took photos in the Relaxation Pods and Treatment Lounge, but that would defeat the purpose of unplugging. ;) My massage was perfect and I could have spent all day lounging around. However, my favorite part would have to be the view from the treatment rooms.

tasty fruit 'shots' and a warm, refreshing towel greeted us upon arrival

spa surroundings

my favorite part: the view

By the time we left the relaxing environment of the spa, I felt I was floating on air. Only to be reminded of the excitement happening in the city when I stepped out of the elevator and saw the lobby completely overrun with Olympic officials and fans.

While my spa bliss was a bit short-lived, at least I have some goodies to take home! :)

some treats from my afternoon tea doggie bag. as you can see my tea was olympic themed, how cute!

dinner

dinner by Heston Blumenthal is a British restaurant located in the posh Mandarin Oriental. The restaurant focuses modernizing old British recipes and the result is absolutely delicious! My sister and I were lucky enough to score a reservation for Sunday dinner.

We arrived a bit early and decided to get a drink at the bar. I highly recommend the Mandarin MOjito, it was so delicious! The dinner on the whole was really great, with friendly service and unique food. 

the yummy 'meat fruit'

The highlight would have to be the signature dish--meat fruit, which comes from a recipe from the 1500s and is chicken liver parfait in the form of a mandarin orange. Very cool! dinner was an excellent restaurant and a great start to the week. I can't wait until I get the chance to dine there again!

summer wave

London has become unbearably hot these past couple of days. And by unbearably hot, I actually mean 74F and sunny. Running out my flat in tights and an all black outfit was mistake numero uno of the day.

The second mistake? Not picking up ice cream on my way home.

When I studied abroad in Tokyo my second favorite thing to do (first being hitting up the summer sales) was to cool down with some green tea ice cream. My quest to find some green tea ice cream outside of japanese restaurants has proved fruitless, but eva bakes has a great and easy recipe to make your own green tea ice cream at home! you can usually find powdered green tea or matcha at asian supermarkets or even at waitrose/whole foods. Doesn't that look amazing?!

c/o Eva Bakes

Doesn't that look amazing?! I could probably eat an entire pint right now. So it's probably a good thing I don't have the ingredients to make some...