Varun's Daily Diary

Thursday 15 April 2010

The last 24 hours have been a mixture between stress and happiness ... and this I suppose is what life is all about ... I, of course, would prefer much more of the latter than the former!

The last couple of nights have been spent at 41 - a boutique luxury hotel near Buckingham Palace. I don't know what the service is like at the Palace ... but at 41, service is fit for a king ... and I am not sure I know of a hotel in London that exudes such professionalism and genuine "love" in equal measures. I had a rather lovely suite that was not the largest in the world but still had not one, not two but three showers (& a bath) in it! For a clean-freak like me ... heaven!

Also, I filled in a "guest preference" form for the first time in ages! It was executed perfectly ... buckwheat pillows, whisky, golf & travel magazines ... and the whole Pink Panther (Peter Sellers)series on DVD! Heaven!

SO - yesterday was spent in the edit suite which was painful because of the cutting but also triumphant as the Tasmania show is going to look so lovely.

My evening was just perfect.

As you can imagine I don't get to see the ones I love very much but last night I had dinner with two of my dearest friends in the world. What made it even more special was that we ate at my new favourite restaurant in London. I am the biggest critic (literally) of Indian food as I have been brought up on Mama's cooking - which any Mummy's boy will tell you is the best in the world!

Anyway last night I tried, for the first time, Moti Mahal in Covent Garden. It's a real triumph in North Indian cuisine. We started with "Raj style cocktails" - Gimlets (Gin, spot of lime and soda) with delicious starters of chaat and tender lamb kebabs (you would think that after Istanbul I would steer clear of kebabs for a while .. but no!). Main courses were butter chicken, chicken tikka, dal, rice and dreamy naan breads. All washed down with a wonderful red from the Napa Valley (the sommelier Maria is a delightful, font of knowledge). Desserts were incredible ... Indian without the heavy cheesy and sugary taste.

The service was First Class, the cuisine faultless and the company divine. If only every evening could be like that! Both my guests are STILL smiling today!

The chef Anirudh Arora is one to watch ... a Michelin-star beckons very soon. This review may sound gushy but deservedly so. It's my new culinary "home" in London ... I am counting down the days to my next visit.

I end today's diary on a sad note - the "retirement" of one of the finest GM's I have ever worked with - Victoria Shaw from Eichardt's in Queenstown, New Zealand. She just "gets it" in every way ... I really hope that the hotel industry has not seen the last of her ... she's a true gem.

Song of the Day: The Best Things In Life are Free - Luther Vandross/Janet Jackson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaNNdQVQB9k

Weather: The sun has got his hat on ...