This is the ooru I knew! Never let the weather set you back. I remember being at an intimate food tasting at Fatty Bao, a quintessential South-East Asian place that has opened in my neck of the woods.

BENGALURU:  Plump droplets of rain splashed down on our well-coiffured hair, and by the time the squealing masses took cover, the raindrops turned into hailstones accompanied by gusts of wind that literally blew us off our feet.

This is the ooru I knew! Never let the weather set you back. I remember being at an intimate food tasting at Fatty Bao, a quintessential South-East Asian place that has opened in my neck of the woods. The maverick hotelier AD Singh was our host and most of the invitees knew him from way back.

Angad Singh Gandhi & George Kuruvilla

So when the atmosphere is genial and full of banter, there is nothing better than to eat and drink in the company of your peers who are knowledgeable about what they are eating. I remember fanning myself desperately with a menu card and ultimately a big cooling device was wheeled into an air-conditioned room! ’Twas the very same evening that I heard the wind and hailstones battering against my windows, and I said a little prayer of thanks.

The next evening was party time and I had got into the mood of things. There was a pop-up of Guppy-Pops from Delhi. Since Fatty Bao is just a building away from where I live and since it was my friend AD who insisted I come the following day too…I went. Retro music resonated as we made our way through the doors. The PYT’s (pretty young things) and the POT’s (pretty old things) vied for attention.

I must admit that the slightly older men made the most noise and it was refreshing because we usually blame the ladies. The party had the right mix of people and the service of food and ambrosia was spot on. It was great spending time with a slice of genteel Bangalore. I make no bones about the fact that I like the better things in life. I mean, who doesn’t? I was very thrilled that namma ooru was the first city in India to welcome the swanky Ritz- Carlton franchise.

Again since I live in CBD, we would often espy hectic activity going on near the hotel. It was a very peek-a-boo situation and our curiosity was whetted with a dekko. The guest list for the grand opening was very exclusive and we heard many rumours of certain socialites being extra ‘palsy’ with the team responsible for the invitations. I loved all the hullaballoo as I adopted my ‘fly-on-thewall’ status to observe all the FOMO, angst, and triumphs of the swish set of Bangalore.

They had walkie-talkie sets where they communicated amongst themselves if a guest had arrived or approached. Very impressed indeed! Thankfully they have put aside all the extra froufrou and I was greeted warmly as we entered the hotel to partake in the Glenfiddich whiskey-paired dinner. Thanks to Cardi-V and other commitments I hadn’t visited the hotel in some time.

But both Angad Singh Gandhi, the brand ambassador for Glenfiddich and GM Ritz-Carlton George Kuruvilla, are dear friends and one must always be present for the premiere moments in their journey. It was a delightful dinner with chef Anupam pulling out of the stops and Angad regaling us with anecdotes and titbits about the whiskey. A small soiree impeccably pulled off. Small things done are better than great things just planned.