Model Priyanka in Indian Gem and Jewellery ornaments

Good craftsmanship makes the difference between a priceless piece of jewellery and junk. Take off the price of the effort and you are left with a steal.

Indian Gem and Jewellery, a jewellery destination in Vardaan Market, is offering quite a bargain by waiving off making charges on all diamond jewellery under the banner of Diamond Utsav.

“An offer on our export surplus, the discount applies on a wide range, right from a Rs 2,000 earring to more elaborate sets,” explained Prayas Dugar on behalf of the store.

Jadau kundan and export quality designer jewellery are other draws at the store.

The offer lasts as long as stocks do, so we won’t be surprised if shoppers waking up a little late in the day come away disappointed.

Chef Bill Marchetti invites all to sample Italian food at ITC Sonar Bangla

Filmi fare

The Mumbai hangover in the city has finally spilled over from the world of films to the world of food.

The new fast food restaurant on the ground floor of The Enclave in Alipore bears ample testimony to that. Not only is it named Bombay Bites, the food on offer is as Mumbaiya as it gets. From the staple vada pav to the typical sandwich, the 36-seater transports you to the bylanes of Mumbai.

“That’s the whole idea,” said Amit Todi, who owns the place along with sister Nisha Shroff. “I visit Mumbai all the time and have got used to the food and lifestyle there. So, we decided to open this place, which will give Calcuttans a flavour of the city’s street fare.”

What’s most interesting is that almost every ingredient that goes into the food items at Bombay Bites comes straight from Mumbai — be it the bread for the pav or the bhujiya for the chaat. Even the chefs are Mumbai imports. So the screaming tagline on the walls of the eatery — Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan — fits in perfectly.

The inauguration was as apt as it could be with Ronit (Mihir) Roy flown in from Mumbai to do the lamp-and-ribbon act along with Tollywood’s heroine no. 1 Rituparna Sengupta. And the first words they exchanged were as sweet as the pastries on offer. “Kamon achho?” asked Rituparna to which Ronit replied in chaste Bengali: “Bhalo”.

The two were then seen spending a lot of time exchanging their contact numbers. “Thanks to Mr Todi, we have been able to meet after a really long time,” gushed Rituparna. Ronit was also happy to have the lovely lady by his side, even as they caught up on what was happening in each other’s life.

And guess what they were doing next? Biting into Bombay’s best…

Chandrabindoo performs at the Music Mela at Crossword

Tip to toe

After dabbling in ethnic designs for a year now, designer Mansi Lakhotia has unveiled a range of smart western wear.

Her boutique called Angshaun on Gurusaday Road is hosting a 10-day rakhi exhibition till August 25, the highlight being designer rakhis and a special collection of clothes for the occasion.

The new line comprises smart tops teamed with pants and accessories like rings, belts, bangles, wristwatches, hair accessories, hand bags and footwear.

The exhibition also showcases her range of saris in georgettes, chiffons, crepes, silks and chanderi, paired with embroidered and stylised blouses. Embroidery, beads and zari are the embellishments of choice.

Mansi also specialises in heavy lehngas for weddings and special occasions, priced between Rs 3,000 and Rs 12,000. The saris start at Rs 500 and go up to Rs 15,000, while the western line ranges between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000. The accessories cost anywhere between Rs 50 and Rs 8,000.

Model Joy in a sari from Angshaun boutique.

Tortelli rules

If you’ve hated Italian food all your life, give chef Bill Marchetti a chance.

Showing his culinary skills at the Eden Pavilion at ITC Sonar Bangla, he promises to make you fall in love with his native cuisine.

“Tell me after you’ve had my Crab Tortelli,” he smiled at a guest when she exclaimed she didn’t like pasta.

On a week-long visit to the city from Maurya Sheraton, Delhi, Marchetti will toss up some of Italy’s most loved dishes at a nine-day festival starting August 20. From antipasti (starters) to Gran Piatti di Pasta (speciality pasta) to Dolci (desserts), each course is set to outdo the other.

With at least 20 different kinds of antipastis up for grabs at the food counter, you have the option of choosing from fresh oysters to Norwegian Salmons and everything in between.

The chef has also taken care to spend half-a-day at New Market to stock up on indigenous ingredients to play to the local galleries. “I’ve used cat fish instead of sardine which would have had to be imported and cooked in Venetian style for the antipasti,” said Marchetti.

In fact, the fun of this festival is that most of these dishes can be tried at home.

Once you’ve had your fill of seafood including lobsters and tuna in pink grapefruit dressing at the starters section, you can move on to the pasta part, featuring festive Italian dishes requiring elaborate cooking procedures.

You may be tempted to try all of the seven kinds of pastas on offer, but it helps if you have a guideline. A choice between Crab Tortelli, Lamb alla Cacciatora (meatballs cooked in a green sauce) and Cacciucco alla Livornese (five kinds of fish cooked in tomato and green herbs) is what we’ll recommend. For the veggie brigade, Spinach and Ricotta Agnolotti in a tomato and basil sauce could be a good idea.

If you thought the main-course is a revelation, wait till you dig into the dessert spread. It’s hard to decide upon favourites in this sweet sojourn, but home-made Gelati (whipped egg yolk, sugar and wine) is as safe a bet as any to surrender to.